BBQ and Blue Chicken Salad

When I visit my daughter and her sweet family, about 1 1/2 hours away, I often stay with her to help with the kiddos. Plus, after their bedtime, we drink some wine and catch up. If I’m in the mood to cook, I do so, but there is a fabulous food delivery service called Postmates that services a whole range of great restaurants in Oklahoma City.

One restaurant we often order lunch from is Red Rock Canyon Grill. I’d call it an American grill – nothing fancy, but definitely quality food that’s consistently a pleasure to eat.

Normally, as is my way, I rarely order the same thing, with this restaurant’s menu being one exception. They have a rotisserie chicken salad there that is so good, that it’s always what I order via Postmates. Rotisserie Chicken Chop Salad.

It doesn’t look terribly appealing in the to-go container but it is delicious. What’s unique to me are the combination of dressings: actual barbecue sauce as well as a chipotle-blue cheese.

What really surprised me when I went to the restaurant’s website to make sure I got the name of the salad correct, is that this restaurant is a chain! There are Red Rocks from Texas to Kansas! Well, if all chains were as good as this one, America would be a better place to dine!

For this salad, I used my favorite bottled barbecue sauce. If I’m not making my own, I’m buying this brand.

Following is not a recipe, but a list of ingredients for this delicious salad. Make one serving or a huge salad. You’ll love it!

Southwestern Rotisserie Chicken Salad with BBQ Sauce and Chipotle-Bleu Cheese Dressing

Rotisserie or roast chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
Romaine
Black beans, drained from can
Corn, fresh or drained from a can
Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
Cubes of avocado
Jicama, peeled, cubed
Hard-boiled eggs (optional)
Tortilla chips
BBQ sauce
Chipotle-bleu cheese dressing, recipe below

Chipotle-Bleu Cheese Dressing

4 ounces good blue cheese
4 ounces buttermilk
3 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 whole chipotle plus
1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove

Place all ingredients in a small blender jar and blend until smooth. Alternately, use only half of the cheese in the dressing, and save the remaining crumbled cheese for the salad.

Begin by preparing all of the ingredients. I roasted a chicken and chopped up mostly the white meat.

Then add lettuce to the salad bowl, then cover with the black beans and corn.

Then add the tomatoes, jicama, and avocado. I tossed my avocado pieces in lime juice before using.

Follow with the chicken, season with salt and pepper, then add any necessary remaining ingredients for a nice representation.

Drizzle the barbecue sauce and the chipotle blue cheese dressings over the salad and serve.

The restaurant’s salad has tortilla strips, but I found these, called horneadas, and thought they were fun! I don’t like feeling “forced” to eat things in a salad that I don’t love. Namely, tortilla strips.

Besides the wonderful flavors of this unique salad, the textures are lovely, especially because of jicama.

By Published On: September 17th, 202136 Comments on BBQ and Blue Chicken Salad

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

36 Comments

  1. Bernadette September 17, 2021 at 6:07 AM - Reply

    Thanks Mimi for sharing this incredible dinner salad. It will be perfect on a warm day.

    • chef mimi September 17, 2021 at 7:20 AM - Reply

      You are so welcome. It’s so so good.

  2. Sherry September 17, 2021 at 6:24 AM - Reply

    Hi mimi
    I do love a chicken salad 🥗 and this looks great full of fresh ingredients. I’ll leave out the bbq sauce tho :-)

    • chef mimi September 17, 2021 at 7:19 AM - Reply

      You should just try a teaspoon of BBQ sauce with the chipotle blue. An amazing combo!

  3. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen September 17, 2021 at 7:01 AM - Reply

    The dressing combination sounds really interesting!

    • chef mimi September 17, 2021 at 7:19 AM - Reply

      And they really work well together! Totally new to me.

  4. David Scott Allen September 17, 2021 at 7:02 AM - Reply

    The combination kind of reminds me of BBQ chicken wings with blue cheese dressing on the side. A great combination — which makes perfect sense for your salad, especially with the addition of chipotle!

    • chef mimi September 17, 2021 at 7:18 AM - Reply

      Interesting! I never would have thought of that, although I guess on the rare occasion I order wings, they’re the traditional buffalo style. Love that heat! I don’t know why I love this salad so much but darn, it’s so good!

  5. angiesrecipes September 17, 2021 at 7:32 AM - Reply

    It always excites me when I have some roasted chicken leftover as I know I can turn it into an excellent chicken salad next day. Yours looks droolworthy, Mimi.

    • chef mimi September 18, 2021 at 11:56 AM - Reply

      Yes! That’s a wonderful win-win situation!

  6. Healthy World Cuisine September 17, 2021 at 7:58 AM - Reply

    Love this recipe! Seriously when life is busy, this is just the kind of recipe we need. That dressing sounds amazing and can think of many ways we would enjoy it. Wishing you a super weekend ahead.

    • chef mimi September 17, 2021 at 8:04 AM - Reply

      Thanks! Oh, it’s Friday! Yay!

  7. Molly Pisula September 17, 2021 at 8:29 AM - Reply

    I love a big salad like this too, and that dressing looks amazing!

    • chef mimi September 18, 2021 at 11:54 AM - Reply

      Thanks. I just made it up in my head and it worked out perfectly. I could have added chipotle to a blue cheese dressing, but I just don’t like bottled dressings.

  8. 2pots2cook September 18, 2021 at 4:20 AM - Reply

    Perfect, simple, budget friendly office lunch !!!!!

    • chef mimi September 18, 2021 at 11:53 AM - Reply

      Definitely! And so satisfying.

  9. Ron September 19, 2021 at 8:35 AM - Reply

    Do you deliver? My kind of salad Mimi. I’m intrigued by the Chipotle-Bleu Cheese Dressing and I’m now wanting to taste it soon, so I’ll be making this salad very soon.

    • chef mimi September 19, 2021 at 9:48 AM - Reply

      Ha! Wish I could! I am so drawn to this salad – so many wonderful flavors and textures that just fit perfectly together.

  10. Debra September 19, 2021 at 11:04 PM - Reply

    This sounds really delicious. I love a good chicken salad, and the combination with the Chipotle-Blue Cheese dressing is dreamy! This is a true winner. :-)

    • chef mimi September 20, 2021 at 6:42 AM - Reply

      The dressing is great, but the combination of it with the BBQ sauce is what works so well on this salad!

  11. Fran @ G'day Souffle September 20, 2021 at 9:54 AM - Reply

    The recipe for the dressing looks fantastic- I’m always on the look-out for good dressing recipes. Did your salad turn out just like the one you ordered at Red Rock?

    • chef mimi September 20, 2021 at 9:54 AM - Reply

      Yes, it really did. Not that big of a challenge, though!

  12. Raymund September 21, 2021 at 6:42 PM - Reply

    That dressing combination sounds really delicious! the tangy sweet and creamy savoury combo will complement each other

    • chef mimi September 21, 2021 at 8:40 PM - Reply

      It’s a really wonderful combination! And I never would have thought of using a BBQ sauce on a salad, in any way shape or form!

  13. Jean | Delightful Repast September 21, 2021 at 6:50 PM - Reply

    Mimi, I’ve been thinking about a big salad for the past week. And this one sounds perfect! I just need to pick up some romaine, jicama, chipotles in adobo, and bleu cheese. This will be dinner very soon!

    • chef mimi September 21, 2021 at 8:40 PM - Reply

      Ha! All worth the effort shopping!!! It’s really good.

  14. kitchenriffs September 22, 2021 at 10:15 AM - Reply

    We sometimes make a BBQ chicken salad. Although don’t use blue cheese — have to try that. Your recipe looks excellent — thanks.

    • chef mimi September 22, 2021 at 10:16 AM - Reply

      Thanks, John. Yeah, I guess it’s not different than using a bbq’d chicken in the salad, but I really like the two “dressings.”

  15. sippitysup September 22, 2021 at 3:19 PM - Reply

    I can see how the yin and yang of two different dressings would hit both sides of you mouth (so to speak) in the most delightful manner. GREG

    • chef mimi September 29, 2021 at 10:01 AM - Reply

      The flavors do bounce around a bit! And lovely textures as well., I love jicama.

  16. Kelly | Foodtasia September 24, 2021 at 3:14 PM - Reply

    I love big salads, Mimi, and this one looks fabulous! Love the dressing!

    • chef mimi September 29, 2021 at 10:02 AM - Reply

      The combination of all the ingredients and the dressing and BBQ sauce is really wonderful. Kinda different!

  17. David @ Spiced September 28, 2021 at 7:58 AM - Reply

    It’s so rare to find chain restaurants like this one! I wish we had Red Rocks around here. :-) However, thanks to you recreating this recipe, I can just go with your version instead. Plus, that chipotle-blue cheese is making my mouth water!

    • chef mimi September 29, 2021 at 10:03 AM - Reply

      Knowing me, I might have hedged going to the restaurant the first time had I known it was a chain. But it’s good. I am always impressed and happy that the chicken is perfectly cooked!

  18. Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons October 17, 2021 at 1:09 PM - Reply

    I am just catching up with all the blogs I’ve missed this last month. This looks just like my favorite salad at a local restaurant, not the same as your own.

    • chef mimi October 17, 2021 at 1:10 PM - Reply

      Fascinating!!!

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